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(11) | EP 0 849 786 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Bonding pad structure for testing integrated circuits during manufacture |
| (57) A method of fabricating a bond and the bond. The process includes providing a lower
level (M1,13, 15) of electrically conductive metal disposed on a substrate having
a pair of spaced apart sections. An electrically insulating layer (11) is then disposed
over the lower level and vias (23) are formed in the electrically insulating layer,
individual ones of the vias extending to one of the spaced apart section of the lower
level. An upper level of electrically conductive metal (M2, 17, 19) is disposed on
the electrically insulating layer, the upper level having a pair of spaced apart sections,
each coupled to one of the sections of the lower level through a via. One of the pair
of spaced apart sections of the lower level is preferably essentially U-shaped (13)
and the other section (15) of the lower level is essentially rectangular shaped and
extends into the open end of the "U". One of the pair of spaced apart section of the
upper level is essentially rectangular (17) with a rectangular aperture at its central
region and the other section of the upper level (19) is essentially rectangular and
disposed within the rectangular aperture. A bond (23) is formed completely enclosing
the spaced apart sections of the upper level. |